Anlene, in partnership with MBC’s morning show, ‘Sabah Al Kheir Ya Arab’, is giving away hundreds of thousands of dirhams worth of bone checks in their fight against osteoporosis tomorrow. Every member of the ‘Walk for Bones’ event qualifies for the free screening which can cost up to AED 1,000 per person.
The 2km walk at Safa Park, Dubai is part of a campaign to raise awareness of osteoporosis, a crippling bone disease that affects millions of people in the Middle East. In October, Anlene, a specialized adult milk product, revealed that 40% of women scanned in UAE and KSA last year were at risk of fractures from osteoporosis.
The UAE Ministry of Health, Dubai Bone and Joint Center (DBAJ) and Emirates Arthritis Foundation are joining Anlene to raise awareness of the cause.
“This is a drive to help people understand the risks if bone health is ignored. This is a great way to learn about the disease and get some practical advice on whether you are at risk and what action to take to avoid it,†Mr Khaled Hashish, General Manager, GCC Consumer Division, Fonterra Brands.
Fonterra, the company behind Anlene, has spent more than US$40 million in the last decade to better understand osteoporosis and works closely with the International Osteoporosis Foundation to raise awareness. In 2006, Anlene launched an Asia-wide research programme into the growing incidence of osteoporosis in the region by bone-scanning three million people across nine countries.
So far more than 1.8 million of those free bone scans have been conducted and provide invaluable insight into the state of bone health in Asia and the Middle East.
Mr. Hashish believes the scale of the disease is often under diagnosed and therefore underestimated. “It can cost up to a thousand dirhams per person to run the tests that detect osteoporosis. We’re very serious about trying to stop this disease in its tracks.â€
Anlene’s month-long osteoporosis campaign focuses on the education of osteoporosis across the UAE and KSA. As part of their annual global bone scanning program, the Anlene Bone Health Check has conducted over 70,000 scans to date and is continuing with the program in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah at hypermarkets, ladies clubs, health clubs, health festivals and primary health clinics, providing free risk assessment.
Anlene has also partnered with MBC, to run a weekly health segment over eight weeks dedicated to osteoporosis on ‘Sabah Al Kheir Ya Arab’ that takes an in-depth look into the various aspects of the disease, prevention methods and other related topics.
Registration is free and begins outside Safa Park, Gate No. 5 on Friday afternoon at 2pm and the 2km walk will start at 4pm.
About Fonterra
Fonterra is the world’s largest dairy exporter, with annual revenues of about NZ$17 billion*.
As New Zealand’s largest and truly multinational business, Fonterra trades in 140 countries.
Our portfolio includes dairy ingredients, liquid and powdered milks, cultured foods and yoghurts, butter, cheese and specialty foodservices products.
Our brands include Anchor, Anlene, Anmum, Fresh n’ Fruity, Mainland, Peters & Brownes, Tip Top, and Chesdale.
* Fonterra reported revenues of NZ$19.5 billion for 14 months ended 31 July 2008.
About Anlene
ANLENE™ is a range of dairy products specially formulated for adults’ optimal bone health.  The range consists of Powder, UHT, Pasteurised and Yogurt products. ANLENE™ contains more calcium than regular milk. ANLENE™ also contains scientifically selected nutrients to work with the calcium to ensure enhanced absorption and bone strength.  Fonterra has spent more than US$40 million on bone health research and US$14 million directly on the development of ANLENE™.  Over the past 10 years, the experts behind ANLENE™ have funded, and been involved with 15 clinical trials relating to bone health.
In 2007, ANLENE milk powder for adults was launch across the Middle East.
Anlene Bone Health Check Data
The Anlene Bone Health Check provides free bone scans to the public using ultrasonometer technology. The programme provides people with an estimate of their risk of poor bone health, and is not used for diagnostic purposes. Statistics are collected on the number of participants in each zone of risk and summarised on a population basis.
